05 December 2014

NIGERIA : Mark Mentors in High Spirit to Challenge for Honours

Coach Peter Ahmedu of Mark Mentors Basketball Club of Abuja said
yesterday that the team was in a high spirit for the Men's African Club
Basketball Championship in Tunisia.
Ahmedu told NAN in Abuja that they were just putting finishing
touches to the preparations and that the players were intensifying their
preparations to challenge for honours at the championship.
"We are putting finishing touches to the preparations; we have been
together in a closed camp for over two weeks now. "We are adjusting from
the elimination series we went for.
"We had some injuries and I am happy we have been able to take care
of them now. "The spirit of the boys in training is high. So, hopefully,
by the time we get to the finals of the Club Championship in Tunisia
the team will do well.
NAN reports that Mark Mentors qualified for the Championship as the
only Nigerian representative at the qualifiers in Burkina Faso. They
beat fellow Nigerian side Kano Pillars 78-73 in the semi-final of the
Zone 3 qualifiers for the African Club Championship to qualify for the
final.
The first two teams at the qualifiers Mark Mentors and AS Sonabhy
basketball club of Burkina Faso qualified to represent Zone 3 in the
Men's African Club Championship.
The Mark Mentors coach added that the management has motivated the
club to do Nigeria proud in Tunis. "The arrangement and preparation for
us to get there successfully has been done and the boys have been put
into a closed camp for us to have a close watch over them.
"Also, their allowances have been paid. "But I am hoping that the
club Chairman will come out with an amount of money that we will be
rewarded with so as to increase the intensity of the motivation," Ahmedu
said.
He, however, ruled out the effect of the club's inability to embark
on a training tour before the beginning of the championship in Tunis.
"This is the first time the club is going for the championship and the
level of preparation we have at home is as good as anywhere we would
have gone within the African countries.
"The only thing we are lacking is that if we have travelled out of
the country to anywhere to go and camp we would have had more
competitive games to play as friendly games.
"That is what we are actually going to lack. "But with the training
programme we had we are sure that we will get to Tunisia to do the
country proud." He, however, appealed to Nigerians to support and pray
for the club.
"We are asking Nigerians to believe in us and pray for us that we are
not only going there to take part in the championship but to do the
nation proud," Ahmedu said. According to him, the club will depart
Nigeria for the championship on Dec. 9.
The 2014 Men's African Club Championship has been scheduled to hold in Tunis, Tunisia, from Dec. 12 to Dec. 21.